Five-Spice Chicken Noodle Salad

Oops! Took the photo before I sprinkled on the chopped peanuts.

2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp Chinese five-spice seasoning*
1 Tbls sugar
4 boneless, skinned chicken breast halves
1 C coarsely shredded carrots
1/2 C chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 C chopped mint leaves
1/2 C choppped peanuts
Rice noodles, prepared as directed on package.

Chile Lime Dressing
1/4 C sugar (dissolved in 1/4 C hot water)
1/4 C rice vinegar
1/4 C fish sauce*
6 Tbls lime juice
1 to 2 Tbls minced red jalepeno chile

Prep all ingredients: shred carrots, chop herbs and peanuts, etc.

Mix soy sauce, oil, five-spice seasoning and 1 Tbls sugar in a shallow dish. Turn chicken in marinade to coat; let stand 10-15 minutes. Drain chicken and grill or broil until cooked through. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand 5 minutes.

Prepare rice noodles as directed; drain. Divide noodles among dinner bowls. Slice chicken; set on noodles. Top chicken with shredded carrots, chopped mint and cilantro, and peanuts. Serve with Chile Lime Dressing.

* Like a lot of people, I'm sure, I don't like recipes that have a lot of ingredients I've never heard of. Fish sauce (and maybe the five-spice seasoning) might be a new one for you. If you cook many Asian recipes you'll run into it regularly, so at least it won't be some strange ingredient that never gets used again. Find fish sauce (and five-spice which is cinnamon, anise/licorice root, fennel, ginger and clove) in the Asian section of regular grocery stores; not really all that exotic. :)